Walmart and It’s Continued Battle with Labor Relations

ERON

Margaret S. Nicholson

Professor Ava W. Marrow, JD

MGMO 305-71-F15

Hampton University

Abstract

Labor relations are a part of our daily lives, whether we realize it or not. For those of us who work, it relates to our wages, the hours that we work and the way we are treated as an employee of an organization, no matter how large or small. This paper will discuss 3 labor issues faced by Wal-Mart and what might be done to help avoid such situations.

Wal-Mart and it’s continued battle with Labor Relations

        “Labor disgraces no man; unfortunately, you occasionally find men who disgrace labor.”-

Ulysses S. Grant

An organizational mission is an organization's reason for existence. It often reflects the values and beliefs of top managers in an organization.  (Wal-Mart) Wal-Mart’s mission is "To give ordinary folk the chance to buy the same thing as rich people."  Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is famous for cutting costs everywhere it can. (Walton’s strategy) Walton strategy was to get good deals from the supplier’s at a bargained price. This way a retailer can keep a good profit margin from the deal he got a wholesale price. Walton, on the other hand realized the potential his idea has given him when he did the unthinkable and passed on the saving towards the customers and provoking them buy more in volume. This was the greatest decision in Walton’s career and by now, Sam Walton’s business strategy brought him loads of deals, money and a super giant called Wal-Mart in the year 1962.

 I don’t believe that Sam Walton had in mind that along with providing the best prices to his customers would also mean causing havoc from the employees that would help make that dream a reality. This quote by Ulysses S. Grant can be perceived in many ways, but I chose to view it as it relates to the Wal-Mart Labor issues; as a large company who unlike many others have been labeled as taking advantage of their workers.  As stated it’s not the work that so offensive but those who are in control. Unless one is wealthy by family or lottery, working is something that we simply have to do in order to provide the basic necessities which are food, shelter and clothing.  In return all workers want to be paid the agreed upon pay and all the entitlements that are promised.  Most people I know have no issues with working even though we complain sometime, but at the end of the day we are happy to have a job, but even happier to have a job that does what they say they are going to do.   The following are just a few labor issues that Wal-Mart has been faced with: